Improvement in fikvolvers



SMITH &- WESSON.

Revolver.

Patented Dec. 18, 1860.

N. PETERS. EHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. D

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HORACE SMITH AND DANL. B. WESSON, OF :SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT, IN RlsvoLvERs.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 30,990. dated December18, 1860.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, HORACE SMITH and DANIEL B. WEssoN, of Springfield,in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented newand useful Improvements in Revolving Fire-Arms; and we do hereby declarethat the following is a full, clear, and exact description of theconstruction and operation of the same, reference being bad to theaccompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which-Figure 1 represents a side view of one of our pistols with ourimprovements attached, it being partly in section to show theconstruction more clearly. Fig. 2 is a front view-of the thumb-catch,detached from the rest of the im-' plement. Fig. 3 is a side view of aportion of the lock-frame, showing more clearly the form and position ofthe recoil-shield. Fig. 4 represents a front view of the recoil-shield;and Fig. 5 represents a transverse section on the line to a' of Fig. 1,showing the arrangement of the thumb-catch to prevent lateral movementof the barrel.

One part of our improvement in revolving fire-arms relates to those inwhich a revolving cylinder is used with the chambers to receive thecharge extending entirely through the revolving block, and are coveredat the rear by a recoil-plate. The great objection to this descriptionof arms as at present constructed is that only sufficient space is leftbetween the recoil-plate and the rear of the revolving block to receivethe head of the cartridge, and when metallic cartridges are used thebulging out of the base after being fired causes the cartridge to pressagainst the recoil-plate and impede the movement of the cylinder. I

The object of one part of our invention is to overcome this defect andour invention for effecting this object consists in a recoil plateorshield covering all the chambers of therevolvingblock,andarrangedasufiicientdistance back of the revolvingblock to prevent the cartridge j amming after being fired, in connectionwith a projection on the shield directly in rear of the cartridge whenin position to be fired, so as to hold it firmly against the revolvingblock while being fired. Another part of our invention relates to thosearms in which the barrel is hinged to the lock-frame, so that it may beraised or turned back to withdraw the cylinder or insert the charge; andthe object of this part of our invention is to simplify the mechanismfor holding the barrel down against the revolving cylinder, give to itincreased security, and also greater facility to release or fasten thebarrel down; and our invention to effect this object consists in theapplication of a spring-catch to the barrel, so arranged as to hold thebarrel down and also to hold it laterally, that the axis of the barrelmay be retained in line with the axes of the chambers in the revolvingblock when in position to be fired.

Our improvements will be more fully understood by reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which A is a metallic lock-frame, with twostraps, B and G, projecting forward to receive the barrel D and hold itin proper position. E is a revolving cylinder, with the chambersextending entirely through the block to receive the charges at the rear.This block is revolved by mechanism operating by the hammer F in theusual manner. The barrel is connected to the strap B by a hingejoint, a,on which it turns, and is held down by means of a thumb-catch, b, whichsprings into a recess, K, in the lower strap, 0. This thumbcatchconsistsof a cross-bar, d, with projections M at eitheroend extendingbeyond the upper and the lower face of the bar, and the distance betweenthese projections on either side corresponds respectively with thethickness of the strap (land the projection c of the barrel at the pointwhere the projections m of the catch embrace both of these parts,inorder to prevent the barrel moving laterally.

Extending from the upper side of the catch is a stem, f, which enters ahole, 6, in the projection c of the barrel exactly corresponding indiameter with the stem, in order to prevent lateral vibration in thecatch; and in this hole is also inserted a spiral spring, g, to act onthe stem, and holds the catch in the notch R of the strap 0. A smallset-screw, it, holds the catch to the barrel. In rear of the cylinder E,and attached to the lock-frame, is a stationary recoil-shield, G, toreceive the recoil of the charge when ignited.

The shield consists of a flat disk connected with the lock-frame; or itmay be made solid with it, and of sufficient size to cover all thechambers in the revolving cylinder. On its face is a projection, n,arranged in such position as to be directly inrear of that cartridge ofthe rear of the cartridge after it has been fired will not cause it tojam between the shield and the cylinder, and thus impede the freerevolution of the latter.

It will be seen from the construction and arrangement of thespring-catch to hold the barrel down that it is not only held securelyby this catch from rising up, but that, the projections on the ends ofthe catch overlapping the projection on the barrel and the lower strapof the lock-frame, all tendency to lateral 'movement in the barrel isprevented, so that the axis of the barrel retains its position in linewith the axes of the chambers of the cylinder when brought in properposition to he fired, while at the same time the barrel is released withthe greatest facility, so that it can be turned back to remove or chargethe cylinder.

It will also be seen from the construction of the shield with aprojection on its face, as described, that the cartridge, when tired,isnearly in contact with this projection, which receives its recoil, andthat the turning of the cylinder brings a new cartridge in the place ofthe one exploded, which is carried past the projection into the openspace between the shield and the cylinder, which is sufficiently wide toaccommodate any bulging out of the .base of the cartridge that may havebeen produced by its being exploded.

As the face of the shield from the projection is a plane unbrokensurface, on which the head of the cartridge is not liable to catch, andas there is suflicient space between the shield and the cylinder toaccommodate the bulging out of the base of the cartridge after beingfired, no impediment is offered, as in other stationary shields, to thefree revolution of the cylinder after the cartridges are fired.

Having thus described our'improvements in revolving fire-arms, what weclaim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of a revolving cylinder having its chambers extendingentirely through the block with an unbroken recoil-shield having aprojection on its face, as described, for the purpose set forth. 1

2. The combination of the barrel hinged to the lock-plate with aspring-catch, b, arranged with end projections to grasp the barrel andplate, substantially as described, for the purpose as set forth. I

In testimony whereof we have subscribed our names.

HORACE SMITH. D. B. esson.

Witnesses:

J. M. HALL, N. B. CLARKE.

